-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For the better part of a decade , superheroes on the big screen have been big business -LRB- `` Iron Man 2 '' the most recent example -RRB- . On TV , however , keeping audiences coming back each week for the exploits of those with superpowers has been a far trickier task . It 's been a long time since `` Batman , '' `` Wonder Woman , '' `` The Incredible Hulk '' and `` The Greatest American Hero '' hit prime time .

One show that has been able to get it right is `` Smallville , '' which begins its record-breaking tenth season Friday night on the CW -LRB- that would be the longest consecutively running sci-fi show -RRB- . What began as a revised history of Superman 's teen years in Smallville has come a long way over the years , with Clark Kent fighting crime in Metropolis as a rarely-seen hero called `` The Blur , '' the introduction of Lois Lane , and other superheroes occasionally joining the fray .

At the same time , what was once one of the highest-rated dramas on TV , `` Heroes , '' progressively lost viewers , ending its run on NBC after four seasons . But that does n't mean that networks are giving up on the genre : two more series , one with a caped crusader and another about a superheroic family are coming soon .

So what are some of the secrets to success for superhero TV ? We asked producers and cast members of some of these series to find out .

1 . Make your superheroes believable

When `` Smallville '' started , the writers had a slogan : `` No flights , no tights . '' Their version of Clark Kent would n't take up the mantle of Superman , or even Superboy . Instead the WB-turned-CW series would focus on human drama . Executive producer Brian Peterson said , '' -LSB- Series creators Al Gough and Miles Millar -RSB- created a world you could see walking into every week . Even though we 're in Metropolis and we 're really touching on the Superman world , it 's still a world where you can see yourself having coffee with the characters . ''

`` It started out being about a family in Kansas struggling to make ends meet , '' added fellow executive producer Kelly Souders . `` We always emphasize the emotions . At its heart , I hope it would touch people and give them a place to come home to . ''

Despite appearances by more and more characters wearing elaborate costumes -LRB- Green Arrow and Hawkman , for example -RRB- , Peterson and Souders say that they have always grounded the show in a real place . `` We all could relate to the Clark at the start of the show , '' said Peterson . `` It 's great to watch that kid see people in costumes and see people flying with wings , as he interacts with them and we see that in his eyes . ''

Another show that hopes to emphasize the humanity in the superhuman -LRB- without costumes as well -RRB- is ABC 's new series `` No Ordinary Family '' -LRB- premiering September 28 -RRB- . In it , Michael Chiklis and Julie Benz play the heads of a family who find themselves having been granted extraordinary powers following an accident .

Back in July , Chiklis described it as `` a family show wrapped in a police procedural wrapped in the superhero genre . ''

`` The first season should feel like the first act of a superhero movie , '' said `` Family '' producer Zack Estrin . `` The slow discovery of what it means , and how it affects your real life ... like yes , I can run fast , but I can also make breakfast fast ! You can have the fun stuff in conjunction with the danger . ''

`` Family '' co-creator Jon Feldman explained that they wanted their show to have no costumes -LRB- at first -RRB- , either : `` I think the goal is , what if it happened to us ? '' he said . `` There 's so many things that in the real version of a person getting his abilities , the costume seems like something that would be in the future . The costumes , if they ever did show up , would come much later . ''

2 . Give the characters a good origin

Tim Kring , who created the NBC series `` Heroes , '' certainly agrees about making the characters relatable . `` I was mainly interested in the idea of powers and how people wrestled with and dealt with the idea of discovery of something new , '' he said . `` To me the origin story is in many ways the most fascinating part of it . '' Viewers agreed , as the show 's first season was one of NBC 's biggest hits at the time .

`` There was that kind of transparency between your life and characters on the show . Our characters really did n't live heightened lives and their world did n't have that kind of gothic-y look , '' he said . `` They were very much like us . For me that was the important thing . ''

NBC has another series inspired by comic books on the horizon , and its main character also has an intriguing backstory . `` The Cape , '' premiering early next year , is about an innocent man falsely accused of a crime , and seemingly killed while running from the authorities . Instead he goes into hiding and takes on the guise of the Cape , a comic book hero whom his son idolizes .

Actor Dorian Missick described the show as being `` in the tradition of crime drama that just takes place in this fantastic world . It 's based in reality , and that helps you believe in what 's going on a little more . ''

3 . Do n't try to be `` Lost '' -LRB- or `` Heroes '' -RRB-

Jeph Loeb , one of the best known comic book writers in the business , was named the head of Marvel television back in June . He 's quite suited for the role , having had a hand in the TV series `` Lost '' and `` Heroes . ''

Both shows had long story arcs that ran over an entire season , or longer . However , when it comes to the shows Loeb hopes to bring to TV , he does n't plan to follow that tradition .

`` What we 've talked about is more of the model on ` Smallville . ' It may have had an overriding arc , but it was more of the emotional arcs that we were following , '' he said . `` We want to start each show with a problem , and resolve that problem at the end of the episode . Whatever the emotional arc is going on , that 's what you care about . If you do n't care about characters , you 're not gon na care about the show . We do n't want a show driven by the plot , we want a show driven by the character . ''

4 . Never underestimate the importance of villains

For many fans , Sylar was the most intriguing character on `` Heroes . '' Villains came and went but Sylar , a serial killer driven by the overwhelming desire to acquire more supernatural powers , was a constant -LRB- and Zachary Quinto 's performance earned him the opportunity to play the iconic Spock in the 2009 `` Star Trek '' movie -RRB- .

On `` Smallville , '' each season has seen bigger and bigger villains , from Lex Luthor , to Brainiac , General Zod , and this season , Darkseid .

So , for an up-and-coming series like `` The Cape , '' the villains were seen as extremely important .

`` I want to create a classic ` rogues gallery ' like Spider-Man or Batman 's , '' said series creator Thomas Wheeler . In the first episode , he introduces two by the names of Chess and Scales .

However , Wheeler says he wo n't overdo it . `` In 12 episodes , you wo n't see 12 new villains . You got ta roll out your villains , and make sure they 're solid before you bring them in . ''

`` No Ordinary Family '' producers hinted that the family will come up against a major villain as the first season goes along as well .

5 . Keep it simple

When asked to share advice for producers of superhero programs like Wheeler , Estrin and Feldman , `` Heroes ' '' Kring said , `` My advice would be stay away from time travel . '' -LRB- Indeed , some `` Heroes '' fans felt that some of the overly complex aspects of the show as it went on may have played a hand in its loss of viewership over the years . -RRB-

`` Having spent a couple thousand hours , probably , in the writers ' room trying to figure out the rules of time travel , I would caution anybody to stay away from that idea . ''

`` You really ca n't do anything that 's wholly unique in the superpower genre , '' Kring said . `` Every power has been thought of . Coming up with a brand new power is not really the ultimate goal anymore . I 'm just fascinated to see how these new shows explore the genre . ''

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Producers , writers say make the heroes believable

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Give the characters a good backstory

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Give the time travel gimmick a rest , says Kring